Snap fastener element



June 16,1931.

D. l. REITER SNAP FASTENER ELEIEN'I' Filed Aug, 14, 1950 l INVENTQR amelI'. Relier A ORNEY Patented June.16, 1931 luNriE DANIEL :.nnr'rnn, orNEW YORK, N. Y.'`

" SNAP FASTENER 'ELEMENT .Application filed August 14, 1930.y Serial No.475,170.

This invention relates to fasteners and particularly, to one oftheelements of a snap fastenerwhichfis adapted to be readily secured inplace in and to the wall of anaper ture in arigidsupport. Ordinarily,the sup. port would be the windshield frame or sheetV metal body of anautomobile. Y Y My invention contemplates, among other things, theprovision of such'a fastener elef l ment,` which may be readily designedforuse either as a stud or as a socket.

My: invention further contemplates -th provision of a simple, one-piecesnap fastener element, designed for economical quantity production,which may be passed or snapped throughan aperture, and part of which maythen be distorted4 to'ex'pand the part inserted through the aperture tofix the 'element kto the wall ofthe aperture, as by means of a toolinserted through the open end of the element. Suchsnap fastenerelements-are par.- ticularly useful in connection with sheet metal partsofautomobiles in which holes may be stamped for the reception of suchelements, and where access to the inserted part.

of the fastener element cannot be had after said part has been passedthrough the aperture. f

My invention further contemplates the provision of such a fastener inwhich the inserted portion' is ofmaximum diameter to in crease theeflicacy of the securing operation as compared to the, diameter of thefastener engaging part, and in which wide flanges maybe dispensed with.The various objects of my invention will be clear 'from the descriptionwhich follows, and from the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of theiexposed 40 or visible fastenerengaging part of my im`` proved fastener. element, ,theA supportibeing.

vshown broken away. Q g Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the samethefastener element being'shown of its normal i diameter and shape prior tothe distortion prior to the lixationl of the inserted'end, and thereofto its support. f

Fig. 3' is a similar view of the same as it may appear after theinserted end of the elem ment has been expanded andthe distortable partdistorted to fix the element to the support.

Fig. 4 is a bottom .plan view of the element shown in Fig'. 3 as itappears afterfxation to the support,theexpansionof the inserted endbeing' indicated by. the,y spreading of the slots or slits.l n Y F ig. 5is a vertical section and partial ele-H vation kof., a modified form ofmy improved fastener element showingan ,outwardly eX.-

. tendingterminal. flange thereon.

stud. Y

Iny that practical embodiment of'my invention which` I have illustratedby way of eX- ample, the Vcomparatively rigid support as 10 maybethesheetmetalV body or the metal frame of an automobile or any othersuitable and comparatively thin and rigid memberto which'the element 12is to be fixed. `The aperture 11 in the support 10 is made of sufficientdiameter to permit the expansible portionl at one end ofthe element 12to pass readily therethrough. The element 12 is preferably madeof asinglepiece of sheet metal. At one end, which is to be inserted throughthe aperture 11, and which I have referredto as Lthe inserted end, adepression or reentrant i hump as 14- is provided, extending from thepreferably'slotted rim 15 toward the. open end 16.v A series of'suitableslots or slits 36 are made in the rim 15 and extend partlyintothe hump 14 andpartlyinto the side wall or tubularportion 17. Saidportion 17 maybe Aof uniform diameter'thr-oughout, slightly less ,thanthe diameter of the aperture 11, or the end of the portion' 17 may beslightly enlarged so that it may snap throughthe aperture,.in a mannerwhich .is well understood.

At .its exposed or projecting end,`the maf# terial extending from thetubular portonfl? is bent back upon itself, and outwardly of and preferelyu spaced. relations@ the willV Fig. 6 is a simllarview ofanothermodiiied Cil cri

17, to provide a fold or rim as 18 subtending 'an angle of approximately1800, and an outer tubular wall 19 concentric with the tubular portion17. The length of the lwall 19 is less than that of the portion 17,whereby the terminal end or edge 2O of the wall 19 may e-ngage theexposed or visible surface 21 of the support 10, and thereby limit thepassage of the element 12 through the aperture 11, all as is clearlyshown in Fig. 2. Therim 18 is suitably shaped, as will be furtherenplained, to enable said riin together with the walls 17 and 19 to acteither as a stud or as a socket or both, as may be desired;

As is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 8, 5 and 6, thewall 19 is provided with-a suitable indent orcurved groove 22 of less diameter than theoutermost diameter of the rim 1S sor that-said rim may act as a stud.Sincethe wall 19 is spaced from Vthe tubular portion 17, the rim 1S maybe used in connect-ion with either a resilient or a rigid socket. llfhenused with a rigid socket, the wall 19 may Vcontract toward the tubularportion 17 as the riin 18 is forced into the socket. Y il/*hen used witha resilient socket, the rini18is sueientlystiliq to serve as a suitablestud, and the socket may have less resistance and be more yieldable thanthe rim, so that the socket may yield instead of the wall 19. Sin-ceboth resilient and rigid sockets are well known in the art,

lsuch sockets, need not be here shown nor de-V vportion 17 is forcedinto pressed contact with the wall of the aperture. The hump 111- thereby assumes a. flattened or distorted shape as shown approximatelyv in 3.

ine oicing operation ,usU uescii er n ay be performer by any suitabletool such as a rod, ofthe proper diameter to ent-er the openirgl an"1 tocortact with the face 23 of the hump lel. The end of the tool may, of.

course. be shaped to correspond either to the 'original shape of thehump 111 or to its final shape, as may be found convenient or'desirable, and in va manner which vwill be obvious to those skilled inthe art and hence which vneed not be further described.

' As illustrated in Fig. 5, the wall 19 termi- I nates in a flange 24extending outwardly from the free end of said wall and adapted to con'-tact andA rest against thesurface 21V of the support 10. Vihile theflange 24 increases the area of contact between the free terminal edgefof the Wall 19 and the support, and therefore ,has certain advantages,ii, will be understood that said flange may be dispensed with, ifdesired, without detracting from the eflicacy of my invention, as sho-Wnin the preferred forms in Figs. 2 and 3.

As illustrated in Fig. 6, the flange may be bent inwardly or toward thetubular portion 17, if desired, to provide the flange portion 25 havingthe same function and effect as the flange 2li but presenting a somewhatbetter appearance in that the flange is concealed.

As illustrated vin Fig. 7, the edge 26 of the llan'ge 2d may be turnedback upon itself to present a finished edge. The element 12 ofthe-modified form illustrated in this ligure, as Well asthe'corresponding element of the other iigures, may also be providedwith a depression, indent, bead or groove 27 arranged just below the rim18, and coacting with the tubular portion 17 so as to forni a slightcurved projection 2S near the opening 1G. Said projection 28 inconnection with the indent 27 causesthe rimlS to serve as a socket aswell as a stud'. That is, a resilient head stud or even certain types ofrigid studs may he inserted into the opening 16 and held inseparablesnapping engagement with the exposed rim 18 of the element'12 in amanner well known in the art, so that said element may be usedinterchangeably as a stud or as a socket, if desired, in connectionrwith a suitable cooperating snap fastener.

It will be seen that l have Vprovided a. simple and efiicient one-piecesnap fastener element which is adapted to-be inserted through theaperture of a rigid support and readily fixed thereto by means ofsuitable tool, and whichis provided with means in trie form of a freeedged wall for limiting the passage of the insertedportion yof theelement through the aperture.

It will further be seen that my improved element may be used either assocket or as a stud, that it is well adapted for economical manufacturein large quantities and to meet the severe requirements of pra ticaluse.

llfhile l have shown and described certain preferred embodiments ofvinyinvention, l do not-wish to be understood as intending to liniit myselfthereto, but l intend to claim my in: ention as broadly as vmay bepernii ted by the statey of the prior art and the terms of the appendedclaims.

I claim: 'Y

1. In combination, a rigid sheet metal support having an aperturetherethrough, and a 'one-piece openV stud lined tothe support at theaperture and comprising a tubular inner portion open at one end, and ofuniform diameter throughout the length thereof prior to its lisation tothe support, a reeiitrant distortable hump at the other end of Isaidtubular portion for increasing the diameter of iid other end to a sizegreaterthan the diameter ofthe aperture throughfwhich said portion Visinserted, on ino-vement of the hump toward ,y said other end, -to fixtheelement to vthe support after said y portion has Vbeen passedthroughV the aperture, and a substantially cylindrical continuous outerwall bent from the open end of said tubular portion toward face of saidsupport, the junctureof said `wall and tubularportion and that of saidwall adjacent the juncture being shaped to provide the socket engagingportion of said stu-d.'

2.' A cylindrical one-piece snap'fastener studelementcomprising atubular portion openat fone end, a reentrant hump at'the other end ofsaid portion adapted to be distorted to erzpandsaid other end, andacontinuous wall bent from the open end of said tubular portion andvsubstantially concentric therewith and of less length than said ftubu#lar portion, partjof said wall at Vthe juncture of said wall and' saidportion being. shaped to Aprovide-'a terminal stud head on said snapfastener/stud element. l v i 3. In a snap fastener element, a continuousouterwall, a continuous inner wall open at.

one end and substantially concentric with and joinedto the outer wall,said outer wall terminatingata point intermediate the ends of the Lsoinnerwall, and said innerwall being of less diameter throughout itsentire length than the least diameter of they outerwall, a reentrant,slitted hump substantially closing the other end of said innerwall fandjoined thereto, said hump being enpandible toenlarge said other endvoff-the inner wall: by means of 4 a tool `inserted through the ouen endof'sai'd vinner wall, anda continuous rim at the juncture of saidwallsshaped and recessed for snapping engagement with and'disengagementfroma cooperating snapfastener stud or socket. 1

4. Ina snap fastener element single piece of sheet material, acontinuous cylindrical outer wall, a longer continuous cylindrical innerwall joined at one end to the outer wall and arranged coazriallythereoffand parallel thereto, and a slotted reentrant enpa'nsibleportion at the'other end of the inner wall, the outer wall terminatingvat a point between the endsy of the inner wall.

5. ln a one piece fastener element, a conytinuous cylindrical memberserving as a stud and having a free terminalporuion limiting thedistance through vwhich the element mayv be passed through an aperturein a rigid support, a second continuous cylindrical member of uniformdiameter throughout its length joined at its upper end to thetupperendof the first-mentioned member and arrangedv interiorly thereof, thelower portion of said second member being adapted to pass through theaperture, and a distortable reentrant partly slitted hump at the lowerend of said second member, vthe stud portion of the first-mentionedmember being arrangedl at thejuncture of said members whereby thev upperrportions of both of said members are adapted to be snapped into asocket.

6. 4A yone-piece partly jdistortable combined stud and socket elementadapted to be liXed to a rigid support at an aperture thereof after thepartial passage ofthe element through said aperture, comprising apair'of substantially'concentric walls, the inner of said. walls l being'of greater `length than the louter wall', a continuous` rim-joiningo-ne end of each. of said walls, theinner part lof said rim .beingshaped for snap engagement with a 'stud and the outer part 'of 'saidrimbeing shaped forsnap engagement with a socket,

j said outer wall having a free end terminating at a pointbetweentheends of the inner wall,

and a reentrant"distortable and'enipandible hump arrangedvacross the endof the inner kwall opposite therim and substantially clos-v ing saidend,"said inner wall being otherwise open throughou;v its length for thereception ofa tool insertable thereinto'to press upon the hump and toexpand the hump rand the adjacent end of the inner wall to fix theelement to said support. 4

y7. ln a fastener element, an outer wall hav# ing a free terminalportion at one end adapted to engage the exposed face of a rigid support for preventing'the passage ofthe element completely through'anaperture in vsaid support, a rim portion at vthe other endof said walladapted-forA cooperative engagementwith a stud or socket element, acylindrical inner walldepending from said rim and of greater length thanthe outer' wall but of less diameter, andreentrant terminal portionconnected to theinner wallandl adapted to be distorted tol increase thediameter of that part of the inner wall'whichhas been passed through theaperture, said walls, said rim and said: reentrantfportio'n beingkformedof a single piecero'f material.

8. In a fastener element, an open and wall being continu-ous and in thevform of a cylinder of uniform diameter andrfgreatery length than theouter'wall and a distortable reentrant portion at the end of the innerwall 711.0 double-walled fastener member, the inner` opposite tothe openend,the outer wall being l 'continuous'and cylindrical in form and hav.-ing a free end *arranged vatv a point intermediate the ends of the innerwall, and'hav ing a ysocket engaging portion at its other end joined tothe open end of the inner wall.

9.*In a ,none-pieceufastener element, Vvan axially elongated continuouslportion arrangedicoaxially of the element, and serving Yto limitthepassage of theelement through an aperture of less diameter than that ofsaid portion, a second portion of cylindrical form Adepending from theupper` extremityy ofthe -first-mentionedY portion and being vjoined isovLio

thereto to form a stud engaging rim there- With, and arranged interiorlythereof, and a reentrant distortable portion at one end of the secondportion.

10. A fastener element adapted to serve as a socket or asa stud, andformed of a single piece of materialcomprising a fastener member havingan open annular continuous rim at one end for engagement with acooperating snapfastener element and a pair of substantially concentriccylindrical Walls depending from and joined at one end to the rim, theinner `of said Walls being of greater length than the outer Wall and areentrant, distortable portion substantially closing the other end ofthe inner Wall and expandible to increase the diameter of said innerWall, said Walls being coextensive through part of the length of theelement. j

11. In a fastener element, a pair of substantially concentric tubularcontinuons cylindrical Walls, the inner Wall being longer than the outerWall and said Walls being co-extensive throughout the length of theouter Wall, a rim joining adjacent ends of said Walls and serving as astud head, and a reentrant portion connected to the inner Wall forexpanding the end'portion of said Wall opposite to the rim. i

12. In a fastener element, a pair of substantially concentric tubularcontinuous cylindrical portions bent from a single piece of material, abend sub-tending an angle of approximately 180O joiningsaid portions andserving as a stud head, and means on the inner of said portions,assembled Within the inner portion and forming part thereof forexpanding one end ofthe inner portion. j

13. In a fastener element formed of a single piece of sheet material, apair of concentric substantially cylindrical tubular portions each ofsubstantially uniform diameter, the outer portion being integral with,and joined at one end to, and of less length than, the inner portion toform a stud head at the juncture of said portions, and the innerportionv terminating opposite the stud head, in a member distortable bymovement away from the stud head to fix the element to a support.

14;. In a fastener element, a pair of substantially concentric tubularcylindrical, continuous Walls arranged coaxially of the element andformed of a single piece of sheet material, the outer Wall being bentoutwardly of the innerWall through an angle of 180 and vbeing of lesslength than said inner Wall, a iange at the free end of the outer Wall,and a reentrant hump connected to the inner Wall.

15. In a fastener element, a pair of substantially concentriccylindrical, continuous, tubular Walls arranged coaxially of the elementand formed of a single piece of sheetmaterial, a rim sub-tending anangle of approximately 180, joining said Walls and terminating indepressions whereby said 'rim may serve as a stud or as a socket and aflange extending 'from the free end of the outer Wall in a plane atsubstantially right angles to the axis of the element.

16. In a fastener installation, a rigid support having an aperturetherein, a fastener element comprising a continuous tubular uprightcylindrical portion arranged coaxially of the element and adapted topass partly through the aperture, said inner portion having adistortable reentrant hump at one end thereof to fix the element to theWalls of the aperture after said portion has been passed through saidaperture and said inner portion being normally of slightly less diameterthan that of said aperture, an outer tubular, continuous, uprightportion of less length than the inner portion and terminating at a pointintermediate of the ends of said inner portion, a rim sub-tending anangle of approximately 180o joining the adjacent ends ofsaid portionsand terminating in an indent to shape the rim in the form of a fast-enerelement, vthe free end of the outer portion being adapted to engage thesurface of therigid support to prevent the passage of the elementcompletely through the support.

17. In a fastener installation, a rigid support having an aperturetherein, a fastenerA element comprising an outer imperforate, unslotted,continuous Wall of greater inner and outer diameter than that of saidaperture, an inner Wall .of slightly less diameter than that of saidaperture, said Walls being formed of a single piece of sheet materialand joined at their upper ends, said upper ends being shaped to providean unslotted fastener member7 and a distortable reentrant 'portion atthe lower end of the inner wall adapted to spread said lower end toincrease the diameter of said lower end to an extent greater than thediameter of the aperture to fix the element tothe support.

DANIEL I. REITER.

